Operating spring retainer for firearms



' Jul '19, 1949. c, S PSON 2,476,328

OPERATING SPRING RETAINER FOR FIREARMS Filed Nov. 8, 1948 Jwucniob ElurE'rLcE F Enim 5011 Patented July 19, 1949 OPERATING SPRING RETAINER FOR FIREARMS .Clarence E. Simpson, Springfield, Mass, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War Application November 8,1948, Serial No. 59,002

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a device for retaining the operating spring of a firearm within the housing or cylinder containing such spring.

The present invention is concerned with a device for retaining the spring for an operating rod of a firearm Within the cylinder or housing in which such operating rod functions. Numerous devices to retain a spring in a cylinder of a firearm have been resorted to which have proven to be far from satisfactory. Furthermore such retaining devices were awkward to remove, making disassembly of the operating rod and accom-- panying spring slow and difiicult.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a device for positively retaining an opcrating rod spring within a cooperating element of a firearm.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for retaining an operating rod spring in a firmarm which is readily releasable for quick and easy removal of the operating rod and spring.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a firearm showing an operating rod spring secured within the cylinder by means of the securing device of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectionalized view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spring guide assembled to the retainer.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a fragmentary sectional view of a firearm receiver Iii, a barrel I I is secured to the receiver, a rectangular housing I2 is disposed underneath barrel I I and an operating slide I3 is slidably mounted in housing I2 and receiver it for reciprocal movement. An operating rod 23 is connected to slide I3. The rear portion of operating rod 23 shown in Fig. 1 is hollow and there is inserted in such hollow portion an operating rod spring I4. The end of spring I4 within rod 23 seats against the bottom of the hollow portion .of such rod. Inasmuch as this invention relates primarily to the means for retaining the operating rod spring within the housing, further description of the firearm is not necessary.

The other end of spring [4 surrounds a spring guide I5 and abuts a plate member I6 integrally formed or otherwise secured to the end of guide I5. On the rear face of plate I6 there is provided a lug I1 having a rounded end I8. A retainer I9 is pivotally secured to plate IS, a bifurcated arcuate lug 20 being provided thereon to surround lug II for such pivotal mounting. A pin 2| rotatably secures such members. One end of retainer I9 is engageable with a notch 22 pro-v vided in the bottom of receiver ID as shown in Fig. 1 whereby .operating spring I4 and spring guide I5 are retained within housing I2.

In the position shown in Fig. 1, retainer I9 secures such spring and guide rod to the firearm. When, however, a forward force is exerted against retainer IE to disengage the bottom end of such retainer from the rear shoulder of notch 22, retainer I9 may be pivoted forwardly .out of engagement with notch 22 and thus spring I4 and spring guide l5 may be readily removed from the firearm through the receiver thereof. Assembly of such retainer to the receiver is accomplished by a reversal of the procedure just described, namely, the spring and spring guide and retainer are pushed forwardly and released when retainer I9 is over notch 22 whereby the rearward bias of spring l4 pivots retainer I9 into notch 22 thereby securing the rear end .of the spring and spring guide.

Thus it is seen from the above description that there is here provided a device which positively retains the operating spring and guide rod to the firearm. Quick release of such members is readily obtainable with this device which facilitates and speeds up disassembly of the firearm. While there has been described herein only one specific application of this invention, such securing device may of course be utilized where any other similar arrangements of retaining a spring may be encountered.

I claim:

1. In a firearm having a receiver, a barrel horizontally secured to the receiver, a housing secured to the receiver and disposed parallel to the barrel, an operating slide adapted for reciprocal movement in the receiver and housing, and a hollow operating rod connected to the operating slide, the improvement comprising a rod-like spring guide in the housing, a plate member secured to the end of said spring guide, an operating spring surrounding said spring guide, one end of said spring abutting said plate member and the other end contained in the operating rod, and a retainer pivotally secured to said plate member, said retainer engageable with the receiver and the housing to removably secure said the receiver; a housingsecured to 'the receiver and disposed parallel to the barrel, an operating slide adapted for reciprocal movement in the receivers and housing, and a hollow operating rod connected to the operating slide, the improvement comprising a rod-like spring guide in the house? ing, a plate member secured .to the endtof said spring guide and adapted fdrhslidable movement in the housing, said plate member having a lug thereon, a retainer member pivotally secured to said lug, and an operating springziri the operatings 4 rod, said spring arranged to surround said spring guide and abut said plate member, one end of said retainer member being engageable with the notch in the receiver andthe opposite endthereof engageable with thew-1- wall'a'ofz thei housing to secure said 'spring'guide against the bias of said operating spring, said pivotal mounting of said retainer permitting forward pivotal movement of saidretaineragainst the bias of said operating spring whereby said retainer is disengaged from the notchhfor removal of said spring guide and spring from the housing.

CLARENCE E. SIMPSON.

Ndrefe'rences cited. 

